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Sophie Griffiths: Divisive rhetoric is of little help to anyone right now

Government
Sophie Griffiths
20 April 2020

“I won’t be booking a summer holiday at this point, let’s put it that way,” the transport secretary told Radio 4’s Today programme last week.

Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said the travel industry has "struggled" to get its "collective voice heard" by the government during the pandemic

Grant Shapps’ throwaway comment suggests the government has no plans to lift travel restrictions at the end of the new lockdown on 8 May.

But more than that, its dismissive tone demonstrates yet again the lack of government understanding about the mammoth challenges facing the UK travel sector.

Abta was not amused. “It would be better,” a spokesperson drily pointed out, “if the government focused on taking the necessary steps to support the sector rather than undermining confidence in it.”


Because, as most can’t fail to notice, the industry is becoming ever more divided the longer it waits for government guidance on the Package Travel Regulations.